Letters: Keep the hooch out of our farmers markets

Legislation was approved to allow small winemakers to have samples at farmers markets.

In considering the recent bill to allow wine tasting and sales at farmers markets, I hope the legislators show common sense. With 16,000 sales locations for alcohol products already existing across the state, including many with wine tasting, most people say they have no problem accessing alcohol. Recognize that alcohol is involved in many traffic deaths and emergency room visits and underage drinking. Do we really need alcohol present everywhere, even as we pick out our tomatoes and squash at farmers markets? We think not. And we encourage legislators to vote down this legislation.

John Andrews

Michigan Association of Substance Abuse Coordinating Agencies

Novi

Snyder, Legislature don't make the grade

Basing the pay of teachers on performance is a novel idea. But before that program is voted in, let's test it on the performance of our Legislature and governor.

Since taking office, Snyder and the Legislature have succeeded in giving huge tax breaks to corporations, cut funding to schools, cut funding for police and fire, challenged unions with right-to-work, destroyed the movie industry in Michigan, failed to put in place any type of gun control, cut services for disabled people and seniors and other vulnerable citizens of Michigan, and the list goes on.

The next election can't come soon enough for me, and apparently most of the citizens in Michigan, based on the governor's approval rating (about 38% last month). We can only hope that our government doesn't have enough time to totally destroy Michigan before we can vote them out.

Patricia Ciacchella

Macomb

GM buying Nissan vans to sell a slap in the face

General Motors is going to buy Nissan NV200 commercial vans and sell them as Chevrolets. That's the same company that we taxpayers bailed out and saved from its demise that will purchase vehicles from a Japanese competitor, while Japan does everything in its power to keep our American-made vehicles out of their country. And this while our Treasury Department is selling its (make that "our") GM stock at a loss. Thanks for nothing, GM and Treasury. Rather than a foreign-brand van, why don't they buy them from Ford and support America's companies and brands rather than foreign competitors?